


Happy Birthday Arthur Hastings!

by MistyBeethoven



Category: Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV)
Genre: Birthday, Celebrations, Crushes, Dates, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Love, Short & hopefully sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 17:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21149363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistyBeethoven/pseuds/MistyBeethoven
Summary: When Arthur Hastings thinks his Birthday has been forgotten, he decides to give himself a gift instead.





	Happy Birthday Arthur Hastings!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mosriteluv](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mosriteluv/gifts).

> For the best sister in the world! :D <3

Arthur Hastings sat pouting on the sofa in Hercule Poirot's office. He had been sitting there for the last hour or so since his good friend, the brilliant dimunitive Belgian detective, had gone out on some case or the other. When he had first woken up that morning, things had seemed bright and promising. However, when he had gone to Poirot's place at Whitehaven Mansions, his mood had quickly deteriorated.

When the detective's efficient little secretary came in to drop the mail on her employer's desk, she found the good Captain sitting there with his shoulders hunched, a pathetic frown on his handsome face.

Not one to pry into her friend and co-worker's business, Miss Felicity Lemon walked over to Arthur nonetheless. "Are you feeling all right, Captain Hastings?" she asked in concern.

"Oh...Who? Me," he replied, pointing at himself. "I've never been better."

He tried to appear chipper and the woman offered him a warm smile before beginning her trek back to her office again. She made it as far as the door when she heard the Captain sigh and speak.

"It's just that, I thought somebody would remember!" he exclaimed, dropping his false air of happiness.

"Remember what?" she asked with a little glint in her wonderful blue eyes.

"My Birthday!" Arthur Hastings proclaimed.

"Why is it your _Birthday_?" the secretary asked in a voice which sounded a little too surprised.

Not noticing, the tall, thin man continued to stare dejectedly at the floor. "Yes. But neither Poirot, you or anybody else remembered."

"That's awful!" Felicity said, sitting down next to him and taking his hand.

"I would have thought after all this time somebody would have!"

"Well Mr. Poirot has been awfully busy as of late," she said, the same twinkle returning to her eye.

"Hardly an excuse to forget about your best friend's day of birth," Hastings said irritably.

Seeing the Captain looking so wounded, Miss Lemon could not help but lean forward and give his cheek a little peck.

Arthur squirmed on the couch in delight, the same cheek which had been kissed, and its matching partner, turning crimson. "Well I say! What was that for?" he asked.

"For your Birthday, Captain," she announced, a playful smile on her painted lips.

Believing that there was little chance he'd be getting any presents, Captain Arthur Hastings decided to give one to himself. "Look, Felicity, would you like to go out with me tonight?"

The man had long desired to ask the beautiful red-head out but had never found the courage to. His sorrow, and her compassion towards it, had finally given him the courage to.

He watched as the woman's eyes widened and then she asked, "On a date Captain Hastings?"

"Yes," he replied with resolve. "On a date." 

She didn't think it over long before answering, "Yes."

Arthur and Felicity were smiling at one another when the door opened. They both stood and were greeted by the sight of Hercule Poirot and their good friend Chief Inspector James Japp entering the office. The two men were each holding the end of a large white Birthday Cake which read: "Happy Birthday Arthur."

The Captain was seized by a large grin and he looked back at Felicity. "You knew!"

She nodded.

"Did you think we forgot, Mon Ami?" Poirot asked, using his incredible observational skills. "_Jamais_!"

Happy Birthday!" Japp congratulated with a large and happy smile.

Captain Arthur Hastings beamed in gratitude at the two men and then gave Felicity Lemon an even brighter smile.

"Don't eat too much cake," she advised. "You'll need your appetite for tonight."

She gave him a knowing little wink and Arthur was grateful for two things about his surprise Birthday party.

1\. That his friends had remembered all along, after all.

and

2\. That he had thought they had forgotten. Without this he knew he would never have had the courage to ask Miss Felicity Lemon out on a date. 

Taking his first bountiful mouthful of cake, Arthur Hastings knew that the best Birthday present was yet to come.


End file.
